P resident Bola Tinubu on Saturday received Archbishop Paul R. Gallagher, the Vatican’s Secretary for Relations with States, at his residence in Abuja and expressed his desire to host Pope Leo XIV in Nigeria. Foreign Affairs Minister Bianca Ojukwu attended the meeting, held as part of activities marking 50 years of diplomatic relations between Nigeria and the Holy See. In a statement by presidential spokesperson Bayo Onanuga, Tinubu described the visit as timely and reaffirmed his government’s commitment to peace, religious tolerance and national unity. The president said interfaith dialogue remains key to tackling Nigeria’s security challenges.   “I appreciate the Pope. Leading Nigeria’s delegation to his inauguration was a great honour. His commitment to world peace is clear,” Tinubu said. “Millions look up to him. I look forward to welcoming him to Nigeria.” Tinubu recalled his long association with the Catholic Church from his time as Lagos governor. He cited the church’s ...

T he Vice Chancellor of Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University, Prof. Kate Omenugha, says she will not be intimidated over her decision to dismiss five senior lecturers found guilty of misconduct. The university announced the sackings last month. The lecturers, drawn from different faculties, were accused of sexually harassing students and failing to perform their duties. After the announcement, some of the affected staff responded with counter-allegations. They accused the university leadership of corruption and a drop in academic standards, claiming the sackings were meant to hide bigger problems. But speaking to journalists in Awka on Thursday, Prof. Omenugha dismissed the claims. She said the allegations were only a ploy to shift attention from the real issues that led to their removal. “I should be praised for this, not attacked,” she said. “For years, cases of lecturers abusing students sexually happened and nothing was done. When I came in, I put a stop to it. “You cannot intimi...

A Federal Capital Territory High Court has ordered MultiChoice Nigeria Limited to pay N3 million in damages and legal costs after its DStv service cut out mid-game during a live UEFA Europa League broadcast. Justice N.C. Ndukwe-Nwabulu delivered the ruling in Suit No. FCT/HC/CV/588/2025, holding that MultiChoice breached its contract with subscriber David Ogundipe. The disruption occurred for over 10 minutes during the Manchester United vs Rangers FC match on January 23, 2025. Ogundipe, a Manchester United supporter, told the court he purchased a DStv decoder in 2024 based on promises of “seamless live sports streaming.” He sued on February 17, 2025, through counsel O.E. Oluwadamisi of Earnest Attorneys LP, arguing the outage violated both MultiChoice’s advertising claims and the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act, 2018. He had sought N255.98 million in special damages, N100.5 million in general damages, N5 million in litigation costs, and 10% post-judgment interest. The ...

N igerian comedian and actress Chioma Omeruah, popularly known as Chigul, has spoken candidly about her life after divorce, how she views relationships now, and the role faith has played in her recovery.  Speaking on the Transparent Talk Show, the 50-year-old entertainer reflected on her marriage, the emotional pain that followed its end, and the lessons she took from the experience. She said the period pushed her to focus on healing before considering love again.  Chigul said she still feels young, active, and fulfilled. She challenged the pressure placed on women to marry by a certain age or to stay in a relationship just to meet society’s expectations. She also addressed the stigma many divorced women face in Nigeria, noting that judgment from others can make it harder to move forward.  She said people should not enter new relationships while carrying deep, unresolved hurt. “Two broken people cannot build a home together,” she stated. She explained that unhealed wounds...

Outgoing Isale Eko Chairman Kazeem Adeniji says legal action over Gangs of Lagos ended with an apology to protect Lagos’ Eyo heritage. A ccording to report by Punch Newspaper , former Isale Eko Descendants’ Union Chairman, Kazeem Adeniji, says his group challenged the 2023 movie Gangs of Lagos over its portrayal of the Eyo masquerade. When the film came out, Isale Eko indigenes said it disrespected the Eyo masquerade by showing it as killers and cast Isale Eko as a crime area. The union called it defamatory and sacrilegious, and pushed back through legal action.  On May 30, 2023, the union sued the Lagos Attorney General and the Lagos Film and Video Censors Board. That move led to talks with producers Greoh Limited and Amazon Prime, which ended with an apology and acceptance of the community’s concerns.  Adeniji said the fight was about protecting the pride, story and identity of Isale Eko, not just a movie. He described Eyo as one of Lagos’ most valued symbols and argued that...

T he Central Bank of Nigeria has cancelled the operating licences of 46 microfinance banks across the country, effective Tuesday, July 1, 2026, as part of efforts to strengthen the financial sector and protect depositors.  The directive was approved by CBN Governor Mr. Olayemi Cardoso. The apex bank said the affected institutions failed to meet basic regulatory requirements needed to function as licensed financial entities.  According to the CBN , the banks were shut down for financial instability, non-compliance, prolonged inactivity, failure to commence operations within 12 months of approval, and capital deficiencies caused by losses. The action was taken under Sections 12 and 13 of the Banks and Other Financial Institutions Act, 2020.  Acting Director of Corporate Communications, Mrs. Hakama Sidi-Ali, said the decision reflects the CBN’s commitment to building a sound and resilient banking system. She added that the regulator will continue to take necessary supervisor...

R &B star Chris Brown has been told to Pay $13m to a housekeeper who was badly hurt by his guard dog, a California jury decided this week. The case took more than five years to settle.  The Guardian UK reported that the claim came from Maria Avila, who was attacked in 2020 at Brown’s home in Tarzana, Los Angeles. She said the dog, a Caucasian shepherd named Hades, bit her arm and face. The injuries were serious. She needed many stitches and skin grafts from her stomach, and she still deals with nerve damage and trauma that made work hard.  Brown was at home at the time. He told the Van Nuys court he locked the dog in a kennel after it attacked, and a guard called an ambulance. He said he left before it arrived to avoid press attention, and that he kept guard dogs because of stalkers. He admitted he was at fault but said he had warned Avila and her sister to stay inside. The Avilas said that never happened, and they disagreed with him on how bad the injuries were.  Th...

P resident Bola Tinubu has explained why he signed off on sweeping changes to the National Youth Service Corps, saying the aim is to give graduates practical skills that will prepare them for jobs, business and nation-building.  In a statement posted on his X account on Wednesday, July 1, 2026, Tinubu said the Federal Executive Council approved the reforms on Monday, calling it the most significant review of the scheme since 1973. He linked it to his inauguration pledge to create real opportunities for young people and place women and youths at the centre of his administration.  While noting that the NYSC has helped promote national unity for 53 years, the President said Nigeria’s current realities require a new direction. He added that youths make up almost 70 percent of the population and described them as “the engine of growth, not a burden to manage.”  Under the new plan, orientation will now last six weeks with focus on civic duty, leadership, values, career readine...

  H ollywood director Carl Rinsch is heading to prison after taking $11m, about £8.2m, from Netflix for a sci-fi series he never finished.  According to The Independent UK, the 48-year-old was sentenced on Monday, 29 June 2026, to two and a half years in jail starting in September. He was convicted of wire fraud and money laundering last December.  Netflix paid Rinsch $11m in March 2020 to make a 12-episode show called White Horse, later renamed Conquest. Prosecutors said he moved the money into his own accounts within weeks. Court records show he lost most of it on risky stock trades, then put the rest into crypto, made a profit, and spent it on cars, antiques, and luxury furniture.  In court, Rinsch said mental health problems were behind his actions. He told the judge he failed to see “the danger of the state I was in,” apologised, and admitted “real harm was caused.”  The judge, Jed S. Rakoff, said mental health may explain some of it, but it did not excuse...

N igeria plans to hold South Africa accountable for properties and businesses abandoned by citizens who came back home due to growing anti-foreigner pressure.  Alexander Ajayi, Nigeria’s Acting High Commissioner to South Africa, made this known during a Channels Television interview. He said the government has begun compiling a full list of shops, vehicles, and other assets that returnees left behind, with the aim of presenting it to Pretoria for compensation.  The development follows fresh anti-immigration demonstrations in South Africa, where some groups argue that foreigners are occupying jobs meant for locals. At the same time, civil society organizations set June 30 as the cut-off date for undocumented migrants to exit the country.  Ajayi said the diplomatic process has already started. “I was with South Africa’s Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs just three days ago, and we raised this issue,” he said. “We reached an understanding that those returning must record wh...

A 23-year-old woman has been taken into custody in Katsina after police accused her of trying to slit her husband’s throat with a knife as he slept, while operatives also battled and pushed back armed bandits in Dandume Local Government Area.  The Katsina State Police Command made this known on Monday in a statement signed by its spokesperson, DSP Abubakar Sadiq.  Police said the incident happened in Katsina city on June 29, 2026. The victim, Jamilu Ibrahim, told officers at the Central Market Division around 9:00 a.m. that his wife, Sadiya Lawal, attacked him with a knife at about 5:30 a.m. while he was asleep. Ibrahim, also 23, sustained a deep wound to his neck and was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment, where doctors said he is recovering.  Officers who visited the home arrested Lawal and recovered the knife suspected to have been used in the attack. The command said she remains in detention and will be arraigned once investigations are completed.  In anot...

T he Federal Government has approved the first comprehensive review of the National Youth Service Corps since it was created 53 years ago, with a new plan to make the scheme civilian-led and focused on practical skills.  The Federal Executive Council gave the approval on Sunday and directed the Attorney-General of the Federation and the Ministry of Youth to amend the NYSC Act and its regulations so the changes can take effect immediately.  Under the new plan, the NYSC will be managed daily by a civilian instead of a military officer. The armed forces will, however, continue to provide security for corps members nationwide. Officials say the move shifts the military’s role from administration to safety, while the scheme is repositioned as a productivity and youth-empowerment programme that supports Nigeria’s $1 trillion economy goal.  Special Adviser to the President on Policy Coordination, Hadiza Bala Usman, said the reform is needed to build stronger human capital and al...

T he Federal Government will run another evacuation flight for Nigerians in South Africa on Tuesday, as it moves to protect citizens amid concerns over possible xenophobic attacks. Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson, Kimiebi Ebienfa, told reporters in Abuja on Monday that an Air Peace aircraft left Nigeria on Monday and will bring more evacuees back early Tuesday.  The flight is scheduled just before anti-immigrant protests expected to start on June 30. Government has been operating a voluntary return plan for Nigerians in South Africa who want to go home.  “Nigeria will resume the evacuation of our citizens from South Africa today,” Ebienfa said.  He stated that the Air Peace flight departed Nigeria at 3:00 pm on Monday, June 29, 2026, and was due in South Africa around 9:00 pm local time. It will leave South Africa at 12:00 midnight and land at Lagos’ Murtala Muhammed International Airport Tuesday morning.  Ebienfa urged Nigerians staying after the June 30 pr...

P rovidusUnity Bank has officially commenced operations as a single, unified institution following the successful merger of Providus Bank and Unity Bank, According to report by THISDAY Newspaper.  The bank said all regulatory, shareholder, and judicial approvals have been concluded. The merger creates a stronger, better capitalized, and nationwide bank positioned to improve service delivery, expand financial inclusion, and support Nigeria’s economic growth agenda.  In a statement on Thursday, ProvidusUnity Bank said the merger brings together Providus Bank’s digital innovation, customer focused service, and technology strength with Unity Bank’s wide branch network and market presence. The combined institution will now serve individuals, businesses, and communities across the country.  The bank noted that the move aligns with the Central Bank of Nigeria’s reforms to build more resilient banks, protect depositors, increase competition, and create institutions that can driv...

T he Nigerian Education Loan Fund has warned universities and other tertiary schools to stop holding back tuition refunds and to end sudden increases in school charges. In a statement on Sunday signed by its Director of Strategic Communications, Oseyemi Oluwatuyi, NELFUND said it was alarmed by reports that some institutions are refusing to pay back students who had already cleared their fees before their loan money arrived. The Fund explained that the Student Loan Scheme was created by President Bola Tinubu’s administration to ease the cost of higher education, not to add more pressure on students and their families. “Some schools are delaying or refusing to refund students whose tuition was paid before NELFUND disbursements. We are also seeing arbitrary hikes in tuition and other charges,” the statement said. “This runs against the purpose of the scheme.” NELFUND added that it is already speaking with the affected schools and relevant authorities to make sure students get the money ...